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George F. Moore (United States Army officer)

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George Fleming Moore
Major General George Fleming Moore
Born(1887-07-31)July 31, 1887
Austin, Texas
DiedDecember 2, 1949(1949-12-02) (aged 62)
Hillsborough, California
Buried
Allegiance United States of America
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service1909–1949
Rank Major General
CommandsHarbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays
Battles / warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Alma materA&M College of Texas
Spouse(s)Lucile Griffith
RelationsJohn Marks Moore (father)
George Fleming Moore (grandfather)

George Fleming Moore (July 31, 1887 – December 2, 1949) was a decorated officer of the United States Army with the rank of major general. General Moore commanded the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays and the Philippine Coast Artillery during the Battle of Bataan.[1]

Early life and education

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George Fleming Moore was born on July 31, 1887, in Austin, Texas, as the son of John Marks Moore and Mary Estelle Grace Moore. He graduated from the A&M College of Texas in 1908 and received a commission in 1909 into the Coast Artillery Corps.

Texas A&M

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A major and lieutenant colonel during World War I, he returned to Texas A&M as Commandant of Cadets from 1937 to 1940, where he was promoted to colonel.[2][3]

World War II

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In World War II, then Brigadier General Moore fought in the Bataan Campaign, later becoming the commander of the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays in the Philippines, both during the 1941–42 Japanese invasion.[4] He was given command of the Philippine Coast Artillery with roughly 5,000 men and four forts to defend Corregidor.[5] On May 6, 1942, Commander of Allied forces in the Philippines, General Jonathan Wainwright, surrendered the Corregidor garrison at about 1:30 p.m., leading himself and General Moore to be captured by the Japanese, and held as a POW until liberated in August 1945. General Moore was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Distinguished Service Medal while in captivity.[6]

Family

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He was married to Lucile Griffith (March 10, 1892 – April 5, 1972), daughter of John Williams Griffith and Mary Elizabeth (née Fox) Griffith of Port Townsend, Washington. They had one daughter, Anne (later Mrs. Burton R. Browne).[citation needed] His father was John Marks Moore, who was a member of the Texas House of Representatives and the Secretary of State of Texas. His paternal grandfather and namesake, George Fleming Moore, was the first chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court.[7]

Death

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Moore never recovered his health from captivity; he shot himself on December 2, 1949, shortly after retirement, in Hillsborough, California. The Moores are buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, California.

Awards and honors

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Moore received some of the Army´s highest decorations including the Distinguished Service Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.[8]

Moore Hall, a residence hall at Texas A&M University, is named in his honor. Additionally, The General George F. Moore Outstanding Unit Award, endowed by Gerald and Susan Sullivan, was established in 1946 to recognize the outstanding company, squadron, or battery in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University.

Ribbon bar

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Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
1st Row Distinguished Service Cross
2nd Row Army Distinguished Service Medal
w/ Oak Leaf Cluster
World War I Victory Medal American Defense Service Medal
with "Foreign Service" clasp
3rd Row Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
w/ two campaign tars
World War II Victory Medal Philippine Defense Medal
w/ bronze star

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Biography of Major-General George Fleming Moore (1887 – 1949), USA".
  2. ^ "Muster Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Residence Hall Living – Moore Hall Archived September 1, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ John A. Adams (April 15, 2016). The Fightin' Texas Aggie Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor. Texas A&M University Press. pp. 248–. ISBN 978-1-62349-423-0.
  5. ^ Dominic J. Caraccilo (June 29, 2005). Surviving Bataan and Beyond: Colonel Irvin Alexander's Odyssey as a Japanese Prisoner of War. Stackpole Books. pp. 311–. ISBN 978-0-8117-4155-2.
  6. ^ "Major General George F. Moore Archived June 9, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "John Marks Moore". Texas Legislators: Past & Present. Texas Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  8. ^ "Valor awards for George F. Moore". The Hall of Valor Project.